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diff --git a/docs/V1_7_PumpManual.md b/docs/V1_7_PumpManual.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cf6cf56 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/V1_7_PumpManual.md @@ -0,0 +1,177 @@ + + +<b>P</b>ump is <b>U</b>seful for <b>M</b>eta <b>P</b>rogramming. + +# The Problem # + +Template and macro libraries often need to define many classes, +functions, or macros that vary only (or almost only) in the number of +arguments they take. It's a lot of repetitive, mechanical, and +error-prone work. + +Variadic templates and variadic macros can alleviate the problem. +However, while both are being considered by the C++ committee, neither +is in the standard yet or widely supported by compilers. Thus they +are often not a good choice, especially when your code needs to be +portable. And their capabilities are still limited. + +As a result, authors of such libraries often have to write scripts to +generate their implementation. However, our experience is that it's +tedious to write such scripts, which tend to reflect the structure of +the generated code poorly and are often hard to read and edit. For +example, a small change needed in the generated code may require some +non-intuitive, non-trivial changes in the script. This is especially +painful when experimenting with the code. + +# Our Solution # + +Pump (for Pump is Useful for Meta Programming, Pretty Useful for Meta +Programming, or Practical Utility for Meta Programming, whichever you +prefer) is a simple meta-programming tool for C++. The idea is that a +programmer writes a `foo.pump` file which contains C++ code plus meta +code that manipulates the C++ code. The meta code can handle +iterations over a range, nested iterations, local meta variable +definitions, simple arithmetic, and conditional expressions. You can +view it as a small Domain-Specific Language. The meta language is +designed to be non-intrusive (s.t. it won't confuse Emacs' C++ mode, +for example) and concise, making Pump code intuitive and easy to +maintain. + +## Highlights ## + + * The implementation is in a single Python script and thus ultra portable: no build or installation is needed and it works cross platforms. + * Pump tries to be smart with respect to [Google's style guide](http://code.google.com/p/google-styleguide/): it breaks long lines (easy to have when they are generated) at acceptable places to fit within 80 columns and indent the continuation lines correctly. + * The format is human-readable and more concise than XML. + * The format works relatively well with Emacs' C++ mode. + +## Examples ## + +The following Pump code (where meta keywords start with `$`, `[[` and `]]` are meta brackets, and `$$` starts a meta comment that ends with the line): + +``` +$var n = 3 $$ Defines a meta variable n. +$range i 0..n $$ Declares the range of meta iterator i (inclusive). +$for i [[ + $$ Meta loop. +// Foo$i does blah for $i-ary predicates. +$range j 1..i +template <size_t N $for j [[, typename A$j]]> +class Foo$i { +$if i == 0 [[ + blah a; +]] $elif i <= 2 [[ + blah b; +]] $else [[ + blah c; +]] +}; + +]] +``` + +will be translated by the Pump compiler to: + +``` +// Foo0 does blah for 0-ary predicates. +template <size_t N> +class Foo0 { + blah a; +}; + +// Foo1 does blah for 1-ary predicates. +template <size_t N, typename A1> +class Foo1 { + blah b; +}; + +// Foo2 does blah for 2-ary predicates. +template <size_t N, typename A1, typename A2> +class Foo2 { + blah b; +}; + +// Foo3 does blah for 3-ary predicates. +template <size_t N, typename A1, typename A2, typename A3> +class Foo3 { + blah c; +}; +``` + +In another example, + +``` +$range i 1..n +Func($for i + [[a$i]]); +$$ The text between i and [[ is the separator between iterations. +``` + +will generate one of the following lines (without the comments), depending on the value of `n`: + +``` +Func(); // If n is 0. +Func(a1); // If n is 1. +Func(a1 + a2); // If n is 2. +Func(a1 + a2 + a3); // If n is 3. +// And so on... +``` + +## Constructs ## + +We support the following meta programming constructs: + +| `$var id = exp` | Defines a named constant value. `$id` is valid util the end of the current meta lexical block. | +|:----------------|:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| +| `$range id exp..exp` | Sets the range of an iteration variable, which can be reused in multiple loops later. | +| `$for id sep [[ code ]]` | Iteration. The range of `id` must have been defined earlier. `$id` is valid in `code`. | +| `$($)` | Generates a single `$` character. | +| `$id` | Value of the named constant or iteration variable. | +| `$(exp)` | Value of the expression. | +| `$if exp [[ code ]] else_branch` | Conditional. | +| `[[ code ]]` | Meta lexical block. | +| `cpp_code` | Raw C++ code. | +| `$$ comment` | Meta comment. | + +**Note:** To give the user some freedom in formatting the Pump source +code, Pump ignores a new-line character if it's right after `$for foo` +or next to `[[` or `]]`. Without this rule you'll often be forced to write +very long lines to get the desired output. Therefore sometimes you may +need to insert an extra new-line in such places for a new-line to show +up in your output. + +## Grammar ## + +``` +code ::= atomic_code* +atomic_code ::= $var id = exp + | $var id = [[ code ]] + | $range id exp..exp + | $for id sep [[ code ]] + | $($) + | $id + | $(exp) + | $if exp [[ code ]] else_branch + | [[ code ]] + | cpp_code +sep ::= cpp_code | empty_string +else_branch ::= $else [[ code ]] + | $elif exp [[ code ]] else_branch + | empty_string +exp ::= simple_expression_in_Python_syntax +``` + +## Code ## + +You can find the source code of Pump in [scripts/pump.py](http://code.google.com/p/googletest/source/browse/trunk/scripts/pump.py). It is still +very unpolished and lacks automated tests, although it has been +successfully used many times. If you find a chance to use it in your +project, please let us know what you think! We also welcome help on +improving Pump. + +## Real Examples ## + +You can find real-world applications of Pump in [Google Test](http://www.google.com/codesearch?q=file%3A\.pump%24+package%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fgoogletest\.googlecode\.com) and [Google Mock](http://www.google.com/codesearch?q=file%3A\.pump%24+package%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fgooglemock\.googlecode\.com). The source file `foo.h.pump` generates `foo.h`. + +## Tips ## + + * If a meta variable is followed by a letter or digit, you can separate them using `[[]]`, which inserts an empty string. For example `Foo$j[[]]Helper` generate `Foo1Helper` when `j` is 1. + * To avoid extra-long Pump source lines, you can break a line anywhere you want by inserting `[[]]` followed by a new line. Since any new-line character next to `[[` or `]]` is ignored, the generated code won't contain this new line.
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